St. Cloud school district to invest $240,000 to reduce class sizes

The St. Cloud school district has laid out $1.2 million in funding directly supporting the district's new five-year strategic plan that is close to adoption.

The funding plan includes $110,000 for "communications/marketing," which Superintendent Willie L. Jett II says accounts for a position and budget.

The largest portion, $240,000, is going to strategic class-size management. This will give administration the opportunity to lower class sizes by hiring up to four full-time staff, according to business manager Kevin Januszewski.

Another $150,000 for access and opportunity will be used to fund approximately 50 tutors at the two high schools to work with the students on college readiness in connection with St. Cloud State University.

The district has $40,000 to hire a coordinator for kindergarten-through-eighth-grade gifted and talented programming.

Former principal Joni Olson's new position as interim executive director for principal leadership and student achievement is a newly created administrative role crafted under the strategic plan. The position is budgeted at $140,000.

The district also plans to spend $120,000 to implement AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, at one grade level. The educational program is designed to help under-performing students. Jett says implementing the program one grade at a time is ideal. In subsequent years, AVID would cost $100,000 per grade level.

The budget will be considered as part of the school district's preliminary 2014-15 budget of $104 million during a school board meeting Thursday at City Hall.